Deshorn Lake makes a name for himself as a pitching prospect after leaving Virgin Islands

NEWPORT NEWS, VA. -- Deshorn Lake occasionally misses home. The 16-year-old with the rocket of a right arm thinks about the pristine white sand beaches of the U.S. Virgin Islands. The clear blue water. Shorter, more relaxed school days.

But then he thinks about the benefits of moving from a small island in the Caribbean Sea not known for producing elite athletes to a tree-lined suburban neighborhood in this city in southeastern Virginia, an area with a long history of producing pros.

The baseball is more competitive and fans get into the games. And even though, as a high school junior, he is a year away from being eligible for the Major League Baseball first-year player draft, professional scouts are well aware of his fastball that clocks in at over 90 mph.

"I'm trying to be the best I can be," Lake said. "Trying to reach that level, make some money and help out my family."

Lake's family situation withstood a separation by choice last year, when Deshorn's older brother, Devorn, and two teammates moved to Newport News to live with Edwin Matthias, a native of the islands who said he regularly takes in teenagers seeking a better situation. Matthias last year assumed guardianship of three boys from the islands so they could attend a public school, and the trio helped Menchville win the 2009 Virginia AAA baseball title.

Last summer, Matthias, 48, took in Deshorn Lake and Deron Hanley; Devorn Lake, now attending a local college, also still lives with Matthias.

While the other players have been successful -- Devorn Lake plays baseball for the Apprentice School and last year's two other transplants are playing for junior colleges -- none has drawn attention like Deshorn.

Deshorn Lake has excelled at baseball for several years and had played in various tournaments in Florida and other locations. But he burst onto the scene last year after impressing at a tryout for the U.S. under-16 national team. Nearly 3,000 teenagers attend two tryout camps for the team, most returning home in quiet anonymity. Lake sparkled.

"When we started thinking of our budget, the first thing that came to my mind was we had to fly a kid from the Virgin Islands to California," said Jeff Singer, director of the team for USA Baseball.

While generally considered a raw talent who needs to improve on the finer points of pitching, Lake solidified his roster spot at the team's final summer camp and earned a trip to Taiwan for the world championships. He was the first player from the Virgin Islands to make one of the U.S. junior national teams.

"That was amazing," Lake said. "When we made the team, I thought it was Christmas. You got gear, from cleats to a glove to a New Era fitted cap to a gear bag."

It was quite an experience for a player accustomed to baseball in the Virgin Islands, which has sent nine players to the major leagues, lagging far behind other Caribbean islands.